Maybe I am not using the correct syntax in the self-help sections.
 
Here is how my workflow:
1. I notate my music from concept to final crash cymbal in Noteworthy Music Composer.  It is the easiest and fastest way I found to turn ideas into real notation.  I only found it after years of frustration trying to use Cakewalk (pre-Sonar) to do this, and reading in one of these fora that Cakewalk is really not made for composition, but recording and mastering.  And it was less than $99 (still is).
 
2.  I export it from the Noteworthy's proprietary format to midi 1 to preserve all of my labels as well as the voicings.
 
3.  I open and master it in Sonar, recording live instruments, adding effects, deploying better synth instruments, etc.

 
Isn't there a key command to automatically upload changes to the source midi file without having to reload the whole thing?  To clarify, let's say I am listening to a playback, and not quite happy with a passage in the bass.  I click on the open Noteworthy window, make the changes, save the file and export it to the same source midi file referenced in Noteworthy.  How do I make the changes appear in the Sonar window without closing, reloading and basically trashing all of my synths and settings?
 
 

There would be no way for Sonar to compare different versions of the MIDI file as you make changes in another program. You can import your new  MIDI file into a new Sonar Project and then copy and paste the altered tracks using the copy special command including events in tracks. Then paste whatever you want from those tracks into your original project at the appropriate locations. That is a long way from a key combination but better than starting a whole new project each time.

I don't know why what you describe isn't available, would seem to be way easier than for instance editing an audio file in an external editor and saving back to the project ... but no-one seems to have suggested it.   As suggested, probably the best way is to use two sonar projects, one for the import of the new midi data and as a source for copying tracks, then paste special into the ongoing sonar project. 

If you allow sonar to have more than one project open you can open your new midi file in a separate window and delete the midi clip you want to replace then copy and past the midi clip from the updated midi into the working project. 
 
This should work although I admit I have not tried it myself.
 
 

Maybe I was toying with something else, but I think I remember some version of F5.  Your ideas all sound good, and I will try different combinations of F5.  I will look it up in the help files as well under F5. 
 
I will let you know what I find.
 
Thank you!